here's a brief el strags of what we're talking about. the way things stand now an across the board spending cut is scheduled to hit every federal agency after december 31st. if congress does nothing before then, the cuts take effect no matter how badly the spending is needed. no matter how much it hurts, no matter who loses his or her job. at the same time everyone in the country gets hit with an across the board tax increase after the first of the year. you'll be paying more to the federal government no matter how much it hurts unless congress figures out how to stop it before december 31st. let's bring in our senior congressional correspondent dana bash. dana, this is big-time. this is a crucial issue that they have to resolve over the next, what, november and december. >> exactly. and the leader in the house and the leader in the senate wasted no time to come out and try to lay down markers. if you listen to the tone of both harry reid and house speaker john boehner each trying to sound as conciliatory and open to compromise as they c